Malaysia
Malaysia 2025 Part One.
Our recent trip to Malaysia took us through a fascinating journey of contrasts, from the sleepy, colonial charm of Ipoh to the coastal heritage of Port Dickson, and finally to the bustling urban jungle of Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).
I have travelled to Malaysia several times, including the world heritage site of Malacca with its Portuguese heritage, Sabah, to explore the jungle, and the “Pearl of the Orient” Penang. So this was a different trip into the heart of KLCC and a couple of hidden locations.
The suffucating heat. Heat is around 34 degrees and suffocating. Even in Monsoon season the heat only drops a little.
The mix of religions and cultures. Although it is a Muslim country, the Chinese (Buddhist) and Hindu (Tamil) cultures have a strong presence through their temples, food and contribution to the economy. We were in Kuala Lumpur in December, and the main malls (very international in terms of the stores present) were all covered in Christmas decorations.
Use the public transport system in Kuala Lumpur – LRT and MRT are invaluable as traffic jams in the towns going into Kuala Lumpur are inevitable.
You are never far away from good food in Malaysia, which is cheap and quick. Food is either Malay, Indian or Chinese and is best eaten away from the bland malls, in either buffet style or food courts.
Even the food on the street can be appetising – we tried the soft tofu in rich sauces.
Whilst the language is Malay, the malls are international with English-speaking staff. We tended to eat in local areas where Malay is the main language.
Despite the monsoon rains and the occasional “run down” building, Malaysia offered a fulfilling mix of history, food, and culture. From the colonial echoes of Ipoh to the military history of Port Dickson and the modern pulse of Kuala Lumpur City Centre, there is so much more to see and eat.
[…] reading: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part […]
[…] reading: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part […]
[…] reading: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part […]
[…] reading: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part […]